heroes and hero worship-第31节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



At　bottom；　as　was　said　above；　we　are　to　consider　Luther　as　a　Prophet　Idol…breaker；　a　bringer…back　of　men　to　reality。　　It　is　the　function　of　great　men　and　teachers。　　Mahomet　said；　These　idols　of　yours　are　wood；　you　put　wax　and　oil　on　them；　the　flies　stick　on　them：　　they　are　not　God；　I　tell　you；　they　are　black　wood！　　Luther　said　to　the　Pope；　This　thing　of　yours　that　you　call　a　Pardon　of　Sins；　it　is　a　bit　of　rag…paper　with　ink。　　It　is　nothing　else；　it；　and　so　much　like　it；　is　nothing　else。　　God　alone　can　pardon　sins。　　Popeship；　spiritual　Fatherhood　of　God's　Church；　is　that　a　vain　semblance；　of　cloth　and　parchment？　　It　is　an　awful　fact。　　God's　Church　is　not　a　semblance；　Heaven　and　Hell　are　not　semblances。　　I　stand　on　this；　since　you　drive　me　to　it。　　Standing　on　this；　I　a　poor　German　Monk　am　stronger　than　you　all。　　I　stand　solitary；　friendless；　but　on　God's　Truth；　you　with　your　tiaras；　triple…hats；　with　your　treasuries　and　armories；　thunders　spiritual　and　temporal；　stand　on　the　Devil's　Lie；　and　are　not　so　strong！

The　Diet　of　Worms；　Luther's　appearance　there　on　the　17th　of　April；　1521；　may　be　considered　as　the　greatest　scene　in　Modern　European　History；　the　point；　indeed；　from　which　the　whole　subsequent　history　of　civilization　takes　its　rise。　　After　multiplied　negotiations；　disputations；　it　had　come　to　this。　　The　young　Emperor　Charles　Fifth；　with　all　the　Princes　of　Germany；　Papal　nuncios；　dignitaries　spiritual　and　temporal；　are　assembled　there：　Luther　is　to　appear　and　answer　for　himself；　whether　he　will　recant　or　not。　The　world's　pomp　and　power　sits　there　on　this　hand：　　on　that；　stands　up　for　God's　Truth；　one　man；　the　poor　miner　Hans　Luther's　Son。　　Friends　had　reminded　him　of　Huss；　advised　him　not　to　go；　he　would　not　be　advised。　　A　large　company　of　friends　rode　out　to　meet　him；　with　still　more　earnest　warnings；　he　answered；　〃Were　there　as　many　Devils　in　Worms　as　there　are　roof…tiles；　I　would　on。〃　　The　people；　on　the　morrow；　as　he　went　to　the　Hall　of　the　Diet；　crowded　the　windows　and　house…tops；　some　of　them　calling　out　to　him；　in　solemn　words；　not　to　recant：　　〃Whosoever　denieth　me　before　men！〃　they　cried　to　him；as　in　a　kind　of　solemn　petition　and　adjuration。　　Was　it　not　in　reality　our　petition　too；　the　petition　of　the　whole　world；　lying　in　dark　bondage　of　soul；　paralyzed　under　a　black　spectral　Nightmare　and　triple…hatted　Chimera；　calling　itself　Father　in　God；　and　what　not：　　〃Free　us；　it　rests　with　thee；　desert　us　not！〃

Luther　did　not　desert　us。　　His　speech；　of　two　hours；　distinguished　itself　by　its　respectful；　wise　and　honest　tone；　submissive　to　whatsoever　could　lawfully　claim　submission；　not　submissive　to　any　more　than　that。　　His　writings；　he　said；　were　partly　his　own；　partly　derived　from　the　Word　of　God。　　As　to　what　was　his　own；　human　infirmity　entered　into　it；　unguarded　anger；　blindness；　many　things　doubtless　which　it　were　a　blessing　for　him　could　he　abolish　altogether。　　But　as　to　what　stood　on　sound　truth　and　the　Word　of　God；　he　could　not　recant　it。　　How　could　he？　　〃Confute　me；〃　he　concluded；　〃by　proofs　of　Scripture；　or　else　by　plain　just　arguments：　　I　cannot　recant　otherwise。　　For　it　is　neither　safe　nor　prudent　to　do　aught　against　conscience。　　Here　stand　I；　I　can　do　no　other：　　God　assist　me！〃It　is；　as　we　say；　the　greatest　moment　in　the　Modern　History　of　Men。　　English　Puritanism；　England　and　its　Parliaments；　Americas；　and　vast　work　these　two　centuries；　French　Revolution；　Europe　and　its　work　everywhere　at　present：　the　germ　of　it　all　lay　there：　　had　Luther　in　that　moment　done　other；　it　had　all　been　otherwise！　　The　European　World　was　asking　him：　　Am　I　to　sink　ever　lower　into　falsehood；　stagnant　putrescence；　loathsome　accursed　death；　or；　with　whatever　paroxysm；　to　cast　the　falsehoods　out　of　me；　and　be　cured　and　live？


Great　wars；　contentions　and　disunion　followed　out　of　this　Reformation；　which　last　down　to　our　day；　and　are　yet　far　from　ended。　　Great　talk　and　crimination　has　been　made　about　these。　　They　are　lamentable；　undeniable；　but　after　all；　what　has　Luther　or　his　cause　to　do　with　them？　　It　seems　strange　reasoning　to　charge　the　Reformation　with　all　this。　　When　Hercules　turned　the　purifying　river　into　King　Augeas's　stables；　I　have　no　doubt　the　confusion　that　resulted　was　considerable　all　around：　　but　I　think　it　was　not　Hercules's　blame；　it　was　some　other's　blame！　　The　Reformation　might　bring　what　results　it　liked　when　it　came；　but　the　Reformation　simply　could　not　help　coming。　　To　all　Popes　and　Popes'　advocates；　expostulating；　lamenting　and　accusing；　the　answer　of　the　world　is：　　Once　for　all；　your　Popehood　has　become　untrue。　　No　matter　how　good　it　was；　how　good　you　say　it　is；　we　cannot　believe　it；　the　light　of　our　whole　mind；　given　us　to　walk　by　from　Heaven　above；　finds　it　henceforth　a　thing　unbelievable。　　We　will　not　believe　it；　we　will　not　try　to　believe　it；we　dare　not！　　The　thing　is　_untrue_；　we　were　traitors　against　the　Giver　of　all　Truth；　if　we　durst　pretend　to　think　it　true。　　Away　with　it；　let　whatsoever　likes　come　in　the　place　of　it：　　with　_it_　we　can　have　no　farther　trade！Luther　and　his　Protestantism　is　not　responsible　for　wars；　the　false　Simulacra　that　forced　him　to　protest；　they　are　responsible。　　Luther　did　what　every　man　that　God　has　made　has　not　only　the　right；　but　lies　under　the　sacred　duty；　to　do：　answered　a　Falsehood　when　it　questioned　him；　Dost　thou　believe　me？No！At　what　cost　soever；　without　counting　of　costs；　this　thing　behooved　to　be　done。　　Union；　organization　spiritual　and　material；　a　far　nobler　than　any　Popedom　or　Feudalism　in　their　truest　days；　I　never　doubt；　is　coming　for　the　world；　sure　to　come。　　But　on　Fact　alone；　not　on　Semblance　and　Simulacrum；　will　it　be　able　either　to　come；　or　to　stand　when　come。　　With　union　grounded　on　falsehood；　and　ordering　us　to　speak　and　act　lies；　we　will　not　have　anything　to　do。　　Peace？　　A　brutal　lethargy　is　peaceable；　the　noisome　grave　is　peaceable。　　We　hope　for　a　living　peace；　not　a　dead　one！

And　yet；　in　prizing　justly　the　indispensable　blessings　of　the　New；　let　us　not　be　unjust　to　the　Old。　　The　Old　was　true；　if　it　no　longer　is。　　In　Dante's　days　it　needed　no　sophistry；　self…blinding　or　other　dishonesty；　to　get　itself　reckoned　true。　　It　was　good　then；　nay　there　is　in　the　soul　of　it　a　deathless　good。　　The　cry　of　〃No　Popery〃　is　foolish　enough　in　these　days。　The　speculation　that　Popery　is　on　the　increase；　building　new　chapels　and　so　forth；　may　pass　for　one　of　the　idlest　ever　started。　　Very　curious：　　to　count　up　a　few　Popish　chapels；　listen　to　a　few　Protestant　logic…choppings；to　much　dull…droning　drowsy　inanity　that　still　calls　itself　Protestant；　and　say：　　See；　Protestantism　is　_dead_；　Popeism　is　more　alive　than　it；　will　be　alive　after　it！Drowsy　inanities；　not　a　few；　that　call　themselves　Protestant　are　dead；　but　_Protestantism_　has　not　died　yet；　that　I　hear　of！　　Protestantism；　if　we　will　look；　has　in　these　days　produced　its　Goethe；　its　Napoleon；　German　Literature　and　the　French　Revolution；　rather　considerable　signs　of　life！　　Nay；　at　bottom；　what　else　is　alive　_but_　Protestantism？　　The　life　of　most　else　that　one　meets　is　a　galvanic　one　merely；not　a　pleasant；　not　a　lasting　sort　of　life！

Popery　can　build　new　chapels；　welcome　to　do　so；　to　all　lengths。　　Popery　cannot　come　back；　any　more　than　Paganism　can；_which_　also　still　lingers　in　some　countries。　　But；　indeed；　it　is　with　these　things；　as　with　the　ebbing　of　the　sea：　　you　look　at　the　waves　oscillating　hither；　thither　on　the　beach；　for　_minutes_　you　cannot　tell　how　it　is　going；　look　in　half　an　hour　where　it　is；look　in　half　a　century　where　your　Popehood　is！　　Alas；　would　there　were　no　greater　danger　to　our　Europe　than　the　poor　old　Pope's　revival！　　Thor　may　as　soon　try　to　revive。And　withal　this　oscillation　has　a　meaning。　　The　poor　old　Popehood　will　not　die　away　entirely；　as　Thor　has　done；　for　some　time　yet；　nor　ought　it。　　We　may　say；　the　Old　never　dies　till　this　happen；　Till　all　the　soul　of　good　that　was　in　it　have　got　itself　transfused　into　the　practical　New。　　While　a　good　work　remains　capable　of　being　done　by　the　Romish　form；　or；　what　is　inclusive　of　all；　while　a　pious　_life_　remains　capable　of　being　led　by　it；　just　so　long；　if　we　consider；　will　this　or　the　other　human　soul　adopt　it；　go　about　as　a　living　witness　of　it。　　So　long　it　will　obtrude　itself　on　the　eye　of　us　who　reject　it；　till　we　in　our　practice　too　have　appropriated　whatsoever　of　truth　was　in　it。　　Then；　but　also　not　till　then；　it　will　have　no　charm　more　for　any　man。　　It　lasts　here　for　a　purpose。　　Let　it　last　as　long　as　it　can。


Of　Luther　I　will　add　now；　in　reference　to　all　these　wars　and　bloodshed；　the　noticeable　fact　that　none　of　them　began　so　long　as　he　continued　living。　The　controversy　did　not　get　to　fighting　so　long　as　he　was　there。　　To　me　it　is　proof　of　his　greatness　in　all　senses；　this　fact。　　How　seldom　do　we　find　a　man　that　has　stirred　up　some　vast　commotion；　who　does　not　himself　perish；　swept　away　in　it！　　Such　is　the　usual　course　of　revolutionists。　　Luther　continued；　in　a　good　degree；　sovereign　of　this　greatest　revolution；　all　Protestants；　of　what　rank　or　function　soever；　looking　much　to　him　for　guidance：　　and　he　held　it　peaceable；　continued　firm　at　the　centre　of　it。　　A　man　to　do　this　must　have　a　kingly　faculty：　　he　must　have　the　gift　to　discern　at　all　turns　wher